Quebec International Air Show – 2008

[Francois Boucher]

This year marks Quebec City's 400th anniversary. My beloved town was founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608.

On the occasion, the Quebec International Air Show took on the airs of a fantastic event! I just spent the day there with two of my sons, and it was truly INCREDIBLE!

I almost missed it, because I was afraid it might be too crowded (which it WAS), but a delegation of pilots and staff visited our Children's hospital on Friday (VERY NICE individuals, very generous with their time...), and they themselves were so thrilled by the event that in the end, I HAD to go!

Imagine this: Air elite teams from Great Britain (the Red Arrows), The United States (both the USN Blue Angels AND the USAF Thunderbirds) and Canada (Snowbirds), met there for the first time, the Skyhawk parachutists, plus a number of other crazy air artists. It was thrilling! I took a few pictures for your enjoyment. I had to stop using my camera at some point because we got soaked...

The crowd was at least five times what it's been in the past.

It was a GREAT Air Show! Best I've seen. Fantastic day out with the kids!

[optimuscrime]

Amazing photos François! Congrats on the city's quadricentennial! Quebec City is one of my favourite places. I was there last for Saint-Jean last year and it was wonderful.

[stuffler,mike]

Thanks for sharing. Moved to "Aviation Photography"

[Crusader]

Thanks for the great pictures and the report, Francois!

[Francois Boucher]

Guys, you're very nice: my pictures really are ordinary... next time, I'll make sure to have a telephoto lens on a real camera... (currently ogling the Canon 40D with 300-500 series L zoom).

Mike, thanks for moving this post here. I wasn't even aware of this forum! So: Hello guys!

There were more than 100,000 people on the site yesterday! This is more than 3 times the average at that Air Show. I waited 48 minutes to go to the restrooms (not even me, but mt 8 year-old son!)... The organizers were overwhelmed, I think.

Still, the best Air Show I've been to!

I'd say the British Arrows were the best show: not too fast nor wide, so we saw a lot of them, nor were they very loud, and the variety of formations with 9 aircraft is just tremendous. They also used a lot of colored fumes. Just great! Wasn't it nice that they came all the way here? The French desisted after promising they'd be there...

[Puck]

Félicitations! Joyeux quatre-centième anniversaire Québec Terrific photos. I really feel like going to an air-show now. Or at least getting a copy of MS Flight Simulator or something.

[Francois Boucher]

Félicitations! Joyeux quatre-centième anniversaire Québec Terrific photos. I really feel like going to an air-show now. Or at least getting a copy of MS Flight Simulator or something.

Merci beaucoup Puck! C'était extraordinaire!